Emerging Future Shifts Defining the 2026 Regional Economy

El Houni asked the speakers to share what keeps them "on-point" at work and what guidance they have for the audience. Hamad Al Hajri, CEO and Founder of Snoonu said it was "essential to develop limits" in between work and personal life and take brief holidays to "detach" from the workplace.

Karim Benkirane, CCO of Du, said: "If you make the people you work with pleased, you will make the consumer delighted, who will then make the investors happy."Ambareen Musa, CEO for Revolut GCC, said the ability to "not panic" is the key to discovering an option for problems.

This week, we're assembling more than 3000 meetings in between financiers and 119 Gulf-listed business with a combined value of $2.4 trillion at the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2026, in London. We're uniting investors, companies, exchanges, and policymakers to discuss what is changing in the region, and what follows, including the expansion and continuous development of the Gulf's capital markets, and the area's growing function in worldwide networks of capital and trade.

Saudi Arabia and UAE are poised to lead the Gulf region's economic expansion in 2026, supported by strong private-sector performance, durable domestic need and renewed investment momentum, according to the current ICAEW Economic Insight Q4 2025 report, produced by Oxford Economics. The GCC is expected to outshine most global regions peers next year, with regional GDP projection to grow by 4.4%. Across the GCC, non-energy activity is predicted to expand by 4.1% in 2026, driven by strong labour markets, improving credit conditions and increasing financial investment in innovation and AI-related facilities.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

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Oil earnings will be under pressure in the very first half of 2026, production is anticipated to rise again in the second half of 2026, supporting the region's medium-term outlook, it mentioned. Saudi Arabia will stay a significant factor to GCC momentum, with GDP projection to grow 4.3% in 2026.

Growth will be supported by industrial expansion and policy reforms, consisting of alleviated foreign ownership guidelines that aim to stimulate additional financial investment. The fiscal deficit is projected to broaden to 5.6% of GDP next year amidst softer oil costs, while the recent five-year rent freeze in Riyadh aims to relieve inflationary pressures, though it might constrain future housing supply.

Strong domestic fundamentalsThe UAE is likewise positioned for another strong year of efficiency, with GDP projection to rise 5.6% in 2026 as non-oil sectors continue to broaden. Tourist, trade and monetary services stay essential development drivers, supported by population growth and sustained domestic demand. Dubai's economy grew 4.4% in the first half of 2025, reflecting broad-based non-oil strength.

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Oil production is expected to get once again in the 2nd half of 2026, complementing ongoing investment in facilities, innovation and worldwide trade partnerships. Hanadi Khalife, the Head of Middle East, ICAEW, said: "This quarter's outlook enhances how far the GCC has come in building diverse, durable and worldwide competitive economies.

Scott Livermore, ICAEW Economic Consultant, and Chief Economic Expert and Handling Director, Oxford Economics Middle East, stated: "Saudi Arabia and the UAE are going into 2026 with strong structures. Saudi non-oil activity is acquiring pace, supported by robust need and increasing financial investment, even as fiscal pressures increase.""The UAE continues to gain from solid domestic fundamentals, a sharp uplift in federal government costs and sustained diversification efforts.

Predicting the Next GCC Business Environment

GCC countries are rotating towards a technique of 'strength over expansion' going into 2026, as the region prepares for a global landscape defined by softer oil costs, geopolitical fragmentation, and the fast transition to an AI-enabled economy. According to a new local outlook by PwC, the GCC is moving to insulate its growth from external shocks by deepening worldwide trade combination, securing commercial supply chains, and executing a decisive shift from technology ambition to functional application.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Negotiations for Free Trade Contracts with China, the EU, and Japan are advancing, while talks with the UK have entered final preparing phases. The region is progressively positioning itself as a main center for east-west trade through the IndiaMiddle EastEurope Economic Passage (IMEC). To support domestic manufacturing, protecting vital minerals has actually become a strategic top priority.